Means for making straw bands for grain-binders



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l MEANS PON MAKING STNAW BANDS PoR GRAIN BINNENS. No. 547,698. PatentedOct. 8, 1895.

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H. TUTTLE. MEANS PGR MAKING STRAW BANDS POR GRAIN BINDERS. No. 547,698.

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Patented Oct. 8, 1895.

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` H.. flUrTLEf MEANS POR MAKING STRAW BANDS FOR GRAIN BINDERS. No.547,898. 128881188116888, 1895.

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Nuno STATES ATENT Erica.

HOSMER TUTTLE, OF CEDAR RAPIDS, IOWA.

MEANS FOR MAKING STRAW BANDS FOR GRAIN-BINDERS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 547,698, dated October8, 1895.

Application filed May 17, 1890. Serial No. 352,139- (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

. Be it known that I, HOSMER TUTTLE, a citizen of the United States,residing at Cedar Rapids, in the county of Linn, State of Iowa, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Means for Making StrawBands for Grain-Binders, of which the following is a specification,reference being had therein to the accompanying drawings.

My invention relates to apparatus for feeding the hopper of thestraw-band-making mechanism of a harvester from the tiow of grain afterit is cut and While it passes from the elevator of said harvester to theband-tying mechanism and the object of myimprovement is to provide asimple mechanism for grasping the desired quantity of grain from saidow, cutting off one end of the grasped portion, straightening, combing,and cleaning the same and elevating and advancing the cut portion intothe hopper. I attain these objects by the construction illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, in which- K Figure l is a side view of themechanism constructed in accordance with my invention, said view beingtaken from the grain side of the harvester. Fig. 2 is a side view of themechanism from the opposite side, the binderplatform being shown intransversevertical section. Fig. 3 is atop View of the same. Fig. 4 is atop view of the upper plate of the top shield, used to directthe grainto the bandtying mechanism, said upper plate having two of its edgesturned over to guide the gate carrying the combing device of themechanism. Fig. 5 is a transverse vertical section of the same on line:c c', of Fig. 4. Fig. 6 is a transverse vertical section of themechanism on line fy y of Fig. 3. Fig. 7 is a diagram transverse sectionthrough the upper end of a harvester, elevator, and binderplatform, theridge-board, guide-shield, and straw-graspers in a depressed position,one of the branches of the latter extending in the path of the grain.Fig. 8 is a transverse section of the ridgeboard, guide-shield, andstraw-graspers in an elevated position. Fig. 9 is a perspective View, ona larger scale, of the combined straw cutters and graspers with theiroperating shaft and carrier-bar. Fig. l0 is a side view of one of themembers of the graspers. Fig. 1l is a perspective view of the oppositeend of the end of the shaft d2.

graspers operating-shaft and lever and their carrier-bar.

In said drawings, A represents the ridgeboard of a harvester formingpart of its frame. Upon said board-are secured castings B to formbearings for the main driving-shaft O. Said castings extend laterallyover the top shield A2 and form also bearings for other parts of themechanism. The main shaft carries loosely upon its outer end asprocketwheel O2, having `one member of a clutch adapted to engage withavsecond member O3, retained by a spline upon the shaft O, and aclutch-lever C4 retains said members in engagement. Motion can be givento the sprocket- Wheel and its shaft by means of a chain from anothersprocket-wheel upon the end of one of the apron-carrying shafts. (Notshown in the drawings.)

The combined straw cutters and graspers consist of the following parts,shown on a large scale in Figs. 9 and l0: A steel blade D', attached tothe side of an arm D, projecting laterally from an arm D?, pivoted upona stud D3, projecting from the side of a reciprocating carrier-bar E,that is carried loosely in bearings B, projecting up from theridgeboard, and a blade d is attached to the side of an arm d, mountedupon one end of a shaft d2, passing'through lugs D4 on the side of thearm D2. This forms the cutters. The strawgraspers consist of a lingerD5, having its upper end secured to the back of the arm D2. Said upperend is made thin enough to give resilience to the finger to properlygrasp t-he desired amount of straw in connection with the upper lingerd5. The lower linger has its' face longitudinally grooved to receive thecorrespondingly-ribbed edge of the upper finger. The latter is parallelwith the upper bladearm d, and is mounted therewith upon the To causethe end of the arm D2, carrying the blades and graspers, to be depressedat the proper time, so that the blade D and linger D5 will hang down inthe path of the grain owing from the top of the IOC) the graspers end ofthe arm D2 fromjumping up too high (with the grasped straw) when the barE is reciprocated rapidly, alight wire spring d3 has one end coiled andretained upon a pin E2, projecting from the side of the barE, and itsopposite end bears upon the arm D2.

To permit the straw-grasper -and cutterblade to enter into the grainpassage under the top shield A, the sheet-iron floor f2 and said shieldhave an opening, as shown at f3 in Fig. 4, and as soon as the bar Estarts in the direction of the arrowT on said bar, in Fig. 2, the sideof the arm D meets the rounded edgef4 on the side of the openingf2, andthe outer end of thelever D2 is rocked or pushed upward clear out of theopening f3, and drags the cut straw-also out ot said opening toaposition opposite the funnel F. Said funnel is mounted nearlyhorizontally above `the ridge-board and has slots in its top for thepassage of the arms M and slots in its bottom for the passage of thefingers I.

To reciprocate the bar E it has pivoted to its side, at g, a lever G,one end of which is connected at g2 with one of the links of the eudlesschain H, but the opposite end of said lever G is provided with asegmental gear g3 to rotate the shaft cl2, carrying the movable vancedin the direction of the arrow thereon and before they have becomeelevated through the openiugf3. Afterthe end g2 of the lever G hasreached the point shown in Fig. 2 the chain Il has a straight pullthereon until it reaches the sprocket-wheel H3. When it reaches thelatter the end g2 is-elevated while traveling around one-halt oi saidwheel, and the graspers are opened and continue in that position untilafter they have been dipped into the current. of grain passing under thetop shield A2. To retain the graspers in their closed condition whilethe end g2 of the lever Gis drawn from the under side of thesprocket-wheel i12 to the wheel H3, a rigid horizontal guide A3 issecured to the castings B to prevent the chain H from slacking up and toguide a roller g4, projecting from the side of the lever G adjacent toits end g2. To

rotate the sprocket-wheel H2 from the drivingshaft C, the latter carriesa bevel-pinion C5, which meshes with a similar pinion C6 upon the shaftof said sprocket-wheel. To permit the shaft d2 to operate the rotatableblade and grasper d5, said shaft is provided with a universal joint d6,opposite the pivot-stud D3 of the arm D2.

'Io straighten and clean the wisp ot'straw seized by the graspers fromgrass that may be mixed with it in its butt-end while it is draggedthrough the opening f3, Fig. It, and close to said opening immediatelyafter to prevent any straw from being forced therethrough from thecurrent passing under it, a comb 7L, having horizontal teeth h2, issecured to a sliding gate h3, that is normally closed by a spring h4having one end secured to a looped rod h5 attached to the rear of saidgate and the opposite end to a brace-rod A `of the frame. To again openthe gate just before the graspers have reached it, said gate is providedwithashortstandard h6, having its upper end bent to one side to bein thepath oi' a pin e projecting from the inner side oi' the reciprocatingbar E, and thereby be pushed open. After the wisp of straw has beenelevated through the opening f3 it is brought upon the floor of thefunnel F, opposite its entrance and with its `uneven butt-ends between astationary blade f5 and a blade t' secured to the side of one of thelingers I, used to advance the straw into the entrance of the funnel,Fig. (i. Three of these fingers are shown and they are united togetherby means of metal straps 12. To reciprocate said iingers, they have oneend pivoted to a horizontal rod 13 passing under the floor of the iunneland having its ends supported by levers k, pivoted at 7a2 to standingcastings B3. To give the necessary oscillatory motion to the ingers Iand to the levers 7c, said levers have on their upper ends rollers 7c3to travel in grooved earns L and L2 that are mounted upon the ends of ashaft L3, located above the funnel F. To give motion to said shaft itearries at oneend a gear-wheel L, which meshes with a pinion C7 upon thedriving-shaft G. After the straw has been received in the funnel F itispushed along therein toward the reservoir-hopper (not shown) by means ofintermittentlyoperated arms M, which have their lower ends passingthrough slots F2 in the top thereof. While the lower ends of said armsare to have a vertically-circular motion their upper ends are capable ofa vertical motion only, as they are pivotcd to one end ofconnecting-rods N, that have their opposite ends pivoted at u tostationarystandards N2. To give to the arms M the desired motion theyare provided With bearings to receive the crank portions P2 of a shaftP, having its ends journaled in bearings in the stationary castings B3,and to intermittently revolve said shaft it carries at one end a pinionp, which meshes with an idle pinion p2, and the latter with a segmentalgear Z upon the periphery of the cam L.

Having now fully described my invention, I claim- 1. In combination withthe top shield of the grain passage of a harvester, hinged cutterbladesand graspers adapted to automatically `descend through an opening insaid shield,

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cut and grasp a wisp of straw thereunder and elevate it substantially asdescribed.

2. In combination with the top shield of thegrain passage of a harvesterhaving an opening in said shield, straw cutters and graspers to cut andgrasp a wisp of straw thereunder, and a comb alongside of the opening inthe shield substantially as described.

3. In combination with the top shield of the grain passage of aharvester having an opening in said shield, straw cutters and graspersto cut and grasp a wisp of straw thereunder and a reciprocated combalongside of the opening in the shield substantially as described.

4. In combination with the top shield of the grain passage of aharvester having an opening in said shield, straw cutters and graspersto cut and grasp a wisp of straw thereunder and a reciprocated gate andcomb substan tially as described.

5. In combination with the top shield of the grain passage of aharvester having an opening in said shield, a longitudinallyreciprocating bar E; an arm D2 pivoted thereto and carrying a cutterblade and grasper with a pivoted blade and grasper, substantially asdescribed.

6. In a grain binder the combination of the longitudinally reciprocatingbar E, an arm D2 pivoted thereto and carrying a cutter blade andgrasper, a pivoted blade and grasper, their pivot shaft having a segmentgear, and a pivoted lever G provided with a segment gear substantiallyas described.

7. In a grain binder the combination of a reciprocating bar E, strawgraspers pivoted thereto, their shafts provided with segment gear, alever G pivoted to said bar E and provided with a segment-gear at oneend, and an endless chain connection at the other, substantially asdescribed.

8. In a straw band grain binder the combination of a pivoted arm D2having a rigid blade carrier and blade, and a slightly yieldinggrasperD5 with ablade carrier and grasper d5 pivoted to the arm D2substantially as described. y

9. In a grain binder the combination of a reciprocating bar E, strawgraspers pivoted thereto, their shafts provided with` segmentgear, thelever pivoted to said bar Eand pron vided with a segment-gear at oneend, an endless chain connection and roller g4 at the other end, and aguide A8 to receive said roller, substantially as described.

l0. In a grain binder the combination of the reciprocating bar E, strawgraspers carried thereby to advancea wisp of straw upon aslottedplatform, fingers passing therethrough,

and a funnel opposite said fingers, substantially as described.

11. In a grain binder the combination of the reciprocating bar E strawgraspers carried thereby to advance a wisp of straw upon the floor of afunnel, a stationary blade at the side of said funnel and a bladesecured to one form,cutters for cutting o said wisp into two lengths atthat point, means for elevating the separated butt end of the straw byits last out end and means for pulling the wisp of straw by said cut endinto a position to be fed into the hopper substantially as described.

13. The combination of means for feeding the hopper of the straw bandmaking mechanism of a harvester which consists in a grasper for graspingabout the middle of its length a wisp of the grain flowing to the binderplatform, cutters for cutting off said wisp into two lengths at thatpoint, means for elevating the separated butt end of the straw by itslast cut end, means for pulling the wisp of straw by said cut end, andmeans for combing, cleaning and straightening the straws of said wispwhile being pulled into a position to be fed into the hoppersubstantially as described.

let. The combination of means for feeding the hopper of the straw bandmaking mechanism of a harvester which consists in graspers for graspingabout the middle of its length a wisp of grain flowing to the binderplatform, cutters for cutting olf said wisp into two lengths at thatpoint, means for elevating the separated butt end of the straw by itslast cut end, means for pulling the wisp of straw by said cut end, andmeans for cutting off the butt end of said wisp substantially asdescribed.

15. In combination with a funnel to receive the cut straws to feed thestraw band making mechanism of a harvester the fingers I having one endpassing through the bottom of said funnel and means as described toreciprocate said lingers longitudinal of the funnel, substantially asdescribed.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

HOSMER TUT'ILE. Witnesses:

E. E. MAssoN, C. C. SCHILLER, Jr.

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